


Stutter but don't Stop

by TheManedRedFox



Category: Re-Animator (Movies)
Genre: Banter, Blood and Injury, Character Study, Family History, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Horror, Lots of Whump, Medical Experimentation, Mention of past characters - Freeform, Mystery, Not Beta Read, Other, Pre-Slash, Protectiveness, Science, Secrets, Suspense, Vulnerability, Whump, mention of suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:34:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28483218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheManedRedFox/pseuds/TheManedRedFox
Summary: Dan Cain doesn't know a whole lot about his house-mate; yet events are soon to occur that start to peel back the layers of the enigma that is Herbert West.Takes place relatively soon after the events of the first movie.Part one of two.
Relationships: Daniel Cain/Herbert West
Comments: 3
Kudos: 16





	Stutter but don't Stop

Herbert West tried fruitlessly to pry away the fingers of a recently re-animated subject that was currently crushing his trachea. He kicked his feet in the open air wildly. Amongst the rising panic, he had an odd thought that he may have not turned off the coffee machine. Dan would be angry if that was the case. The machine was finicky. The hot plate would often over heat and burn the content of the glass mug. Dan hated the smell of burnt coffee. He claimed it made him nauseous. Dan could dissect a ripe corpse unperturbed but it was burnt coffee that made him feel sick? Herbert would never understand that. Well, maybe West’s dead body sacrificed at the altar of his own hubris would be enough to squash Dan’s fury about the smell.  


Herbert’s vision was narrowing to a pin point as his body slowly succumbed to the ill will intentions of his attacker. Maybe Dan would bring him back? Maybe he wouldn’t. Maybe Dan would decide enough was enough, bury his body, destroy the serum, and burn his notes. Herbert desperately hoped not but he could understand if that was what Dan chose to do, after all what had these experiments gotten him?  


A dead cat, dead professor, dead soon to be father –in-law, and a dead love of his life. Only heartbreak.  


The body count was hardly likely to motivate him.  


Herbert couldn’t feel his limbs anymore. His hands fell limply at his side. His legs stopped kicking. Goodbye life. Hello black oblivion.  


Suddenly, Herbert heard a door opening, the crick of the stairs as someone descending, and a call of, “West, have you seen my chem book?”  


‘Dan,’ Herbert’s mind sluggishly thought.  


“Herbert!” Dan yelled panicked as he looked at the sight that lay before him. The stairs whined and moaned as Dan sprinted down the remaining steps. He tackled the re-animated man to the floor, effectively breaking its hold on Herbert.  


Herbert slid down the wall and hit the floor with a dull thud. He gulped down a lung-full of blessed air. He blinked frantically. The dark receded back from his vision, back to wonderful light and detail. ‘Not today death.’ Herbert panted full of relief. He blinked again, his vision cleared fully to see Dan beating the re-animated body to a bloody pulp with a metal baseball bat that had taken up residence in the corner of the basement after the cat incident. Herbert wanted to helped but his limbs would not cooperate.  


After Dan was satisfied that the re-animated man was good and dead (again) he rushed over to Herbert.  


“Herbert! Herbert, are you all right?” Dan asked examining him, paying special attention to the ugly bruise ringed around Herbert’s neck.  


Herbert nodded with a grimaced. “I--” he coughed violently, “I’ll live.”  


“Why are you using the serum on test subjects alone? That was dangerous and stupid!” Dan exclaimed before he glanced at the recently re-dead body lying on the concrete floor of the basement. 

“How did you get a body down here anyway, without me noticing none the less?”  


Herbert cleared his throat and grimaced again. “You’ve been so focused on final exams you’ve hardly left your room.” He croaked. “I could have set the house on fire and you would not have noticed.”  


“You exaggerate.” Dan scoffed.  


You’ve also seemed less then keen ever since . . .” Herbert trailed off.  


“Meg,” Dan finished solemnly.  


Herbert stared at Dan imploringly, “Dan, I’m . . .” He whispered.  


Dan waved his hand dismissively, “Never mind.” He gritted through his teeth. He turned away from West and sighed heavily before gaining his composure. “Let me help you up.” Dan extended his hand.  


West did not take it.  


“How badly are you hurt for real?” Dan asked seriously. His brow furrowed in concern.  


Herbert averted his gaze to the ceiling, “There was a bit of a scuffle before you arrived.” He admitted.  


Broken test tubes and vials were scattered across the floor. Lose leaf paper torn out of Herbert’s notebook lay crumbled and shredded everywhere. The oak table was turned on its side, one of its legs broken.  


“How did I not hear any of this going on?” Dan asked under his breath.  


“I told you, you have tunnel vision.”  


“You could have died!” Dan said astonished, with a hint of self-reproach in his voice.  


Herbert rubbed his throat. “I nearly did.” He paused before asking, “Did I leave the coffee machine on?”  


“What?” Dan blinked at him confused.  


“Nothing,” Herbert muttered. “Forget it.”  


Dan shook his head, “I don’t get you West.”  


Herbert gave a half shrug.  


“So first on the list of injuries; possible concussion,”  


Herbert scowled at him.  


The corners of Dan’s mouth twitched up into a smile, “Now tell me where you are hurt.” Dan demanded.  


“My leg,” West grumbled under his breath.  


“Where else?” Dan pressed.  


“My neck obviously,” Herbert attempted to rotate his arm but stopped when a pain needled its way between his joints. “And shoulder.”  


Dan knelt down and began rolling up Herbert’s pant leg. There was a nasty purple bruise forming around the joint. He touched it lightly, getting a hiss of pain from Herbert. “Sorry, sorry.” Dan soothed. He began maneuvering it slowly, testing its range of motion. When Dan was satisfied, he unrolled Herbert’s pants to cover his leg. “I don’t think anything is torn or broken. It looks like its jammed pretty bad but it should loosen up with rest, elevation, and ice. Now, let’s look at your shoulder.”  


Dan’s diagnosis of Herbert’s shoulder was less favorable than what it had been for his leg. Herbert actually cried out in pain when Dan lifted his arm. After carrying out further tests, all of which caused Herbert pain, Dan gently made Herbert cradle his injured arm within his uninjured one. “I think you may have torn your rotator cuff. We should get an x-ray to make sure.”  


Herbert shook his head, "they'd ask too many questions." 

“Damn,” Herbert groaned, leaning his head against the wall behind him. “How the hell am I supposed to do my research with one good arm?”  


“Maybe it’s time to take a break,” Dan cocked an eyebrow. “Study for your exams?”  


“Dan you know very well that I do not need to study.” Herbert sneered indignantly. “I’m at the top of our class. Straight ‘As’ since I got here.”  


“Well you could help me study?”  


“Don’t be absurd.” Herbert huffed.  


“Why? You said you can’t do your research with one good arm.” Dan shot back.  


Herbert studied his face earnestly before relenting, “Fine.”  


Dan helped him up by Herbert’s uninjured side, before pulling his arm over his own shoulder in order to steady him.  


“What about the body?” Herbert paused.  


“I’ll take care of it.” Dan sighed  
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** 

Dan laid Herbert on the lumpy couch, ice packs wrapped around his hurt knee and shoulder. Herbert’s knee was elevated above his heart by several oversized pillows.  


A glass of water and a couple of Codeine rested on the side table. Herbert eyed them suspiciously.  


“I saved them after I broke my ankle playing soccer in college.” Dan reassured him. “I’m not raiding the medicine cabinets at the hospital and smuggling them out, I only do that with corpses.”  


“HA, HA,” Herbert laughed sarcastically but almost immediately stopped when pain shot through his abused body.  


“Take the pills West.” Dan ordered. He crossed the room in a few quick strides and pressed the glass of water and pills into Herbert’s hands.  


“Dan,” Herbert protested.  


“West,” Dan answered back.  


“I don’t like taking medication. I don’t like the way they make me feel.” Herbert said pushing out his lips.  


Dan laughed, “Are you actually pouting?”  


Herbert scowled at him. “Don’t treat me like a child, Dan.”  


“Then stop acting like one.”  


Herbert looked away his face turning red with anger.  


Dan sat on the armrest of the couch. “Look, just take them tonight. They will help you sleep. I don’t think you’ve slept in at least two days.”  


“Three.” Herbert corrected him.  


Dan gave him a disapproving look.  


Herbert bite his lip sheepish.  


“I promise after this I’ll never push drugs onto you again.”  


Herbert rolled his eyes, “Fine, if it will get you to shut up.” He popped the pills into his mouth and washed them down will a mouthful of water. Dan watched Herbert’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. 

Silence passed between them before Herbert clicked his tongue impatiently.  


“So?” Herbert inquired.  


“So what?” Dan squinted his eyes at him.  


“What are we studying?” Herbert snapped exasperated.  


Dan jumped up from the couch. “Oh right!” He clapped his hands together. “Chem. But—but I don’t know where my books are?”  


“Honestly, Dan,” Herbert pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. “Kitchen table, you always leave your books on the table. You’re a space cadet.”  


“Well it’s a good thing I am or else I never had come down to the basement and saved your life.” Dan spat back as he existed the living and made his way into the kitchen. His sneakers squeaking on the linoleum floor. Behold all his books where resting on the table, exactly where Herbert had said they would be.  


He grabbed the heavy red book and turned around to rejoin Herbert but he stopped. The red light of the coffee machine blinked at him from the counter. He switched it off before trotting out of the room.  


“West, guess what?” Dan smiled as he turned the corner.  


But Herbert didn’t hear him. He had fallen into a fitful sleep. His chest rising and falling rhythmically as he snored softly, his glasses were eschewed on his pale face.  
“You left the coffee machine on.” Dan huffed under his breath. He laid the book on the armchair before unfolding a blanket slung over the back of the couch and placed it over Herbert. Next he took off his glasses and switched off the light before he descended down the stairs to the basement to clean up Herbert’s mess.  
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************ 

Dan’s alarm clock beeped at four a.m. He groaned as he slapped it with his palm to silence it. He forgot he and Herbert had rounds today. Well, he did. There was no way Dan was going to let Herbert go. He had a legitimate excuse for ditching, he being the top student in the entire school didn’t hurt either, but Dan doubted they would be so forgiving if he missed.  


Dan rolled out of bed, undressed from his plaid PJs, and threw on his sea foam green scrubs. He flipped on the hall light as he tiptoed through the house; he leaned around the corner to check on Herbert who was still sleeping on the couch. Dan quietly moved across the room and squinted at Herbert more closely through the dim light from the hall. He was a shade paler than usual and he wore an expression of pain. Herbert mumbled something in his sleep before settling again.  


“Shit, the Codeine has worn off” Dan grumbled as he reentered the kitchen and riffled through the cabinets for a bottle of aspirin. He also poured a tall glass of orange juice before walking back into the living room.  


“West,” Dan whispered. “Hey, West.”  


“What?” Herbert blinked sleepily. “Is it time to do our rounds?” He struggled to get up.  


“You’re not going.” Dan said as he put a hand on his chest and gently pushed him back down. “You can’t lift your arm and I bet you’ll have a pretty substantial limp right now too. You wouldn’t be very useful.”  


Herbert snorted.  


“I need you to take these.” Dan shook the bottle of aspirin at him.  


“No more pills.”  


“Come on West, they are only aspirin. You're clearly in pain.” Dan pressed unrelentingly.  


“You promised me no more medication.” Herbert turned his head into the cushions of the couch and closed his eyes.  


“Herbert!” Dan stomped his foot.  


“No!” Herbert protested.  


Dan narrowed his eyes and was about to argue with Herbert further when he had a brilliant idea; he unscrewed the bottle and quickly undid the caplets before pouring the content into the orange juice. He swirled the juice around in the glass in order to conceal the white powder. “Fine! Have it your way, at least drink this! I don’t remember the last time you ate and I’m sure you don’t either.”  


“I don’t like juice.”  


“Well, I don’t care. I am not leaving until you drink it, all of it!”  


Herbert relented begrudgingly. He shifted back around and held out his good hand in order to accept the glass. Dan handed it to him with a smile. Herbert drank it slowly and finished it with a grimace. “That tasted a bit funny,” He smacked his lips together. “I think it’s bad.”  


“Maybe it’s just been too long since you’ve had any substance you’ve forgotten what it tastes like.”  


“Go to work Dan,” Herbert sneered.  
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** 

Dan’s rounds were fine, uneventful, and pleasant almost. Yet, he was bored almost to the point of agitation. He missed Herbert, though he would be loathed to admit it. Especially to Herbert; his ego was already bloated enough.  


Herbert was aggravating and often made things more difficult than they needed to be, but he was one hell of a doctor. He was as passionate and intelligent as he was calculating and cold. He kept everyone on their toes.  


Dan was pushing a cadaver down to the basement when Berry Wheeler, another medical student, came around the corner and effectively cut him off, “Hey Danny?” He smiled brightly. “Where is your shadow?”  


“West?” Dan inquired.  


Wheeler nodded, “You guys are usually attached at the hip.”  


“He’s home. He crashed his bicycle. ”  


Wheeler shook his head, “That is too bad; I wanted to discuss something with him. The location of the will, he mentioned in Dr. Hill’s class mostly. Interesting stuff,” He shrugged. “Oh well, another time.”  


“He is going to be out the rest of the week. It’s was a pretty bad crash.”  


“Oh, maybe I can bring him some chicken soup.”  


“Yeah, maybe.” Dan smiled politely.  


“Well, I’ll let you get back to it,” He said slapping the metal gurney, before departing with a smile and a wave.  


Dan grimaced behind his back. Berry Wheeler had always rubbed Dan the wrong way, ever since he had met him on their first day of med school. He wasn’t sure why, Berry had always been nice and polite almost to the point of excess. Yet, the guy set his teeth on edge. There was something wrong with his eyes. Dan wasn’t sure if he played into the whole concept of a soul or the idea that the eyes are the window to them but when he gazed into Berry Wheeler’s eyes there was no light behind them, there was only blackness. In addition to all that, Berry had developed a strange fascination with Herbert that set off Dan’s alarm bells and made his hair stand on end. He wasn’t sure if it was an interest based purely on academic curiosity or something else. After all Berry Wheeler had been the top student, the apple of every professor’s eye, before Herbert had superseded him. Maybe he was only trying to reclaim the top spot?  
Herbert, for his part did not seem to notice. He gave Berry as much attention as a stain on the floor.  


When Dan’s rounds were finished, he grabbed two sandwiches, roast beef on rye, from the cafeteria and headed home. Fourty minutes later, Dan was walking through the front door of their shared house. Herbert was exactly where he had left him, in a deep sleep. Dan’s open Chem book lay on his stomach.  


Almost as soon as Dan shut the door, there was a loud knock on the oak wood. Dan flinched.  


“Hey, Danny, open up it’s me. I brought some soup for the patient.” It was Berry Wheeler.  


Dan rotated his torso in order to see if the sudden loud intrusion had forced Herbert out of his slumber.  


Herbert had shifted is position on the couch but had thankfully remained asleep. Dan sighed a sigh of relief. He moved his books and the bag containing sandwiches on the in his arms so he could open the door.  


“Keep it down,” Dan hushed him. “Herbert is sleeping.”  


Wheeler hunched his shoulders and looked apologetic “Sorry.” He whispered back. “I brought soup.” Wheeler's arms were weighed down with plastic shopping bags. “And some other supplies, like crackers, and ice packs.”  


Dan reached out for the shopping bags but his arms were so full already that he almost dropped his books on the floor.  


“I got it.” Wheeler grinned. “Just point me towards the kitchen.”  


Dan hesitated torn between needing help and wanting Wheeler to leave, “course, course.” He stepped aside so Wheeler could enter their home. “Kitchen is straight ahead to the left.”  


Wheeler paused momentarily at the entrance of the living room and stared at Herbert dozing on the couch. “Wow, he looks exhausted.” He whispered over his shoulder to Dan.  


Dan nodded his agreement but didn’t say anything.  


When they got to the kitchen, Wheeler placed the shopping bags on the table and began unpacking the content within.  


“You don’t have to do that,” Dan said tugging the bags away from him.  


“Are you sure? I don’t mind.”  
“No that is okay. I can do it. You must have a lot of studying to do.” Dan said politely, “This is really nice. West will really appreciate it.” 

“Okay I’ll get out of your hair.” Wheeler winked and walked backwards out of the entrance of the kitchen. “I’ll shut the door when I leave.”  


“Thanks!” Dan waved “I’ll see you tomorrow in class.”  


Dan was unpacking the groceries when suddenly a feeling of dread caused him to pause. He lifted his head from the bags and stared out of the room into the hallway. He never heard the sound of a door opening and shutting.  


Dan stepped into the hallway and tentatively walked toward the front door, when he passed the living room. The sight before him made his blood run cold. Wheeler was standing over a very vulnerable Herbert who was dozing fitfully, Wheeler’s trembling hand was extended towards West’s throat, slowly drawing nearer. There was a look in his eyes, not the black emptiness that it usually held, but something wholly different. It was a glint that Dan could only describe as malevolent.  


“What are you doing?” Dan hissed panicked.  
Wheeler snapped his hand back abruptly. “I was going to check on him. That bruise looks painful.” Wheeler blushed profusely.  


“I already gave him something.” That had been nearly ten hours ago but Wheeler didn’t need to know that.  


Herbert mumbled something in his sleep causing them both to freeze. He shifted his arm minutely then gave one single soft snore.  


Wheeler and Dan both let out a breath they had been holding in.  


“You need to leave now.” Dan ordered in a voice that was barely audible.  


“Of course,” Wheeler nodded as he moved passed Dan towards the door, “Course, I didn’t mean any offense. I honestly was just checking on him. He looks to be in some amount of pain. Sorry.” And with that Wheeler was gone.  


Dan placed a hand over his heart, feelings its wild and thumping pace through his ribs. “What the hell was that?”  


Herbert gave a snore in response.  
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** 

Dan sat in the armchair adjacent to the couch where Herbert was still dozing. He was leafing through his textbook furiously.  


“Where is the equation for the estimated blood alcohol concentration?” Dan muttered under his breath.  


“Page 1, 039,” Herbert muttered, his eyes still closed.  


“Hey West, how are you feeling?” Dan asked.  


Herbert popped one eye open and stared groggily at him. “The answer is on 1, 039.” He repeated.  


Dan flipped to the indicated page; low and behold there the answer was exactly where Herbert had said it would be. “How?” Dan asked flabbergasted.  
“I read it while you were gone.”  


“All 36, 000 pages?!”  


“I was board.” Herbert opened his other eye and blinked a few times. “You could have looked in the table of contents, by the way.”  


“Why would I do that? I have you.” Dan smiled. Herbert sneered back.  


“Why are you looking up an equation you already know?” Herbert jabbed. “We learned that in the first year. You got to breath, Dan. You know this.”  


“You’re probably right,” Dan closed the book and checked his watch. “You must have been tired. It’s nearly midnight.”  


“Is it?” Herbert asked as he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.  


“I brought you food.” Dan got up and walked in the direction of the kitchen. He returned a moment later with a paper sack containing the roast-beef sandwich.  


He held it out to him. Herbert looked at it distastefully. Dan sighed, “West, your body is a machine. It needs fuel in order to run.”  


Herbert rolled his eyes, before he struggled to sit up. “Yes, doctor.” Herbert patronized. He took the sack and unwrapped the sandwich from its tin foil covering and began nibbling on one of the corners.  


Dan was satisfied and sat back in the armchair. Dan hesitated, “Do you know Berry Wheeler?”  


Herbert swallowed, “I know of him but I’ve never spoken to him.”  


“Well he came by earlier with a bunch of food. Cans of soup, crackers, apples, and what not.”  


Herbert furrowed his brow. “Why would he do that?” He asked.  


Dan shrugged, “To be nice, I suppose.” He looked at Herbert. “I told everyone you had an accident, that you crashed your bike.”  


“I don’t own a bike.” Herbert spat indignatily.  


Dan ignored him, “that’s not the strange part—“  


Herbert’s eyes snapped to the basement door. “The body?”  


“No, no I took care of that last night. What I was saying was—“  


“What did you do with the body?” Herbert interrupted.  


Dan shook his head, “I took it back to the morgue.”  


“Dan,” Herbert had gone very pale. “I didn’t get it from the morgue. I dug it up from the cemetery.”  


“You’re a grave robber now?” Dan groaned exasperated.  


“That’s not the point,” Herbert spat. “What’s are people going to think when an extra body shows up there? I barely escaped suspicion last time. I am going to be the first one they question.”  


“You don’t know that for sure.”  


“The new administration hates me, Dan. They throw me dirty looks when so much as a pencil goes missing.”  


Dan stood up, “No they won’t.” He said firmly as he pulled on his coat, that was slung on the bad of his chair.  


“What are you doing?”  


“I’m going to go clean up your mess, again.”  


“Well technically-- it was you-“  


“Herbert!” Dan warned.  


“Fine, fine.” He relented. He shifted with a wince and planted his feet on the floor.  


“What are you doing?”  


“You’re going to need help.” Herbert stood up with a groan, and stumbled sideways.  


Dan caught him. “What good are you?”  


Herbert narrowed his eyes, “I can be a look out or a distraction if you need one.”  


“Ahhggg,” Dan threw his hands into the air. “Alright, whatever!” It was pointless to argue with Herbert.  


Herbert smiled. “Shall we?”  


Dan acted as a crutch for Herbert as he humbled towards the door.  


“Why were you using such an old corpse anyway? I thought you liked the fresh ones?”  


“I was testing the serum on older tissue, to see if there is a limit to actually re-animating.”  


“Huh,” Dan bobbed his head in agreement. “That makes sense.”  


“Yeah, I thought so.”  
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** 

By the time they got to the hospital in was closer to one a.m. then midnight. Their pace was heavily delayed by Herbert’s slow limping stride.  


“We should have taken the bus,” Dan gritted through his teeth, frustrated by the pace and worried Herbert’s ever increasing pain.  


“They don’t run this late.” Herbert winced, as he leaned against a fence post. He took in a couple deep breaths through his nose.  


Finally, they climbed the steps and entered through the double doors of the hospital. The hallways, which were usually bustling, were near empty, only a couple nurses hurried by them with hardly so much as a second glance.  


“I think they think you are a patient.” Dan whispered.  


“And I’m with a doctor,” Herbert indicated Dan’s scrubs, “That’s good I suppose, they’ll leave us alone. We can get in and out and nobody will be the wiser.”  
Berry Wheeler poked his head around the corner of an examination room. He watched the two walk into the elevator and descend to the basement keenly. A moment later he walked the short distance to the stairwell and also descended to the basement.  


When the elevator door rattled open, it revealed an empty guard desk.  


Dan sighed in relief.  


“Looks like this guard is about as useful as the last one,” Herbert said sarcastically.  


“Lucky for us,” Dan added.  


They opened the morgue doors and entered the dimmed room.  


Dan walked over to the cooler door and opened it. Herbert hobbled closely behind him.  


“There he is.” Dan pointed to the mangled body of the once re-animated corpse. “Exactly where I put him” He clapped his hands together. “So, genius how are we going to get him out?”  


“We don’t need to get him out of the building just out of here.”  


Dan furrowed his brow, and then he understood. “Cremation?”  


“Cremation,” Herbert affirmed.  


“We better hurry before someone sees us.” Dan began pushing the gurney with Herbert trailing behind him.  


The crematorium was only down the hall-it like the guard station was blessedly empty.  


Herbert limped past Dan and began pressing buttons; soon flames burst into life and began licking the walls of the massive oven.  


“Toss him in,” Herbert inclined his head towards the open doors.  


“Shouldn’t-shouldn’t we say something?” Dan hesitated looking down at the mangled pile of flesh that had once been a living, breathing human being that lay before him.  


“Why?” He already had a funeral. It was quite lovely.”  


“You went to his funeral?” Dan asked bewildered. “That’s sick, West!”  


Herbert rolled his eyes. “I had to make sure he was a suitable subject.”  


There was a beat of silence before Herbert cleared his throat and began speaking, “Thank you kind sir for your contribution to science, I am sure you were a lovely man . . . sorry my friend had to beat you to death but you did almost take my head off, so maybe it was only fair. Amen.”  


“West,” Dan chastised him, “You’re going to Hell.”  


“You right along with me,” Herbert retorted sourly.  


Dan gritted his teeth.  


“Would you hurry up?” Herbert asked glancing at the door.  


Dan relented sulkily. He pushed the man into the inferno, shut the door, and locked it.  


They watched the flames dance through the window of a time. “That went pretty smoothly.”  


“Yeah,” Dan had to agree. “Surprisingly, it really did.”  


And that is when all hell broke loose.  
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* 

The new security guard was of an anxious disposition, sprinkle in the Quote on quote massacre at the morgue and the fact that his uncle had been the previous security guard and was now nuttier than squirrel poo. . . well it was a recipe for a stress induced heart attack every night.  


He would have taken any other job, but nowhere was hiring at least nowhere that was paying this much and he needed the money. Or rather his mother did. She was ill and medication was expensive, then there was the mortgage on the house, the car insurance, groceries; it all added up.  


When he heard voices coming from the crematorium he wanted to run away. He had been a coward all his life. He glanced at the picture of his mother in a cheap frame sitting on his desk. He needed this job. His mother needed him to have this job. So he pulled out his revolver and ran towards the noise.  
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* 

Someone screamed “Freeze! Or I’ll shoot!” The security guard kicked the door open. The light of the flames glinted off the black revolver.  


“You’re not getting me!” A shot ran out, ricocheting off the brick wall with a spark.  


“Wait, wait!” Dan yelled, his hands rose above his head in surrender. The guard had a wild look in his eye as he leveled the gun in Dan’s direction.  


Herbert threw himself on the guard, wrapping his good arm around his neck.  


There was a short yet furious fight between the two.  


Herbert did arguably well all things considered but he was soon over-come. It ended with a sharp crack as Herbert was pistol whipped on the side of the head. He crumpled.  


“No!” Dan lunged forward, barely able to cradle Herbert’s head before it struck the floor.  


“You two sickos aren’t going to get me, like Dr. Hill and Halsey, or my uncle.”  


“You got us, just put down the gun. Just-for God’s sake-put the gun down!” Dan begged.  


The guard’s finger twitched on the trigger. The hammer began inching backwards. Dan squeezed his eyes shut, using his body to shield Herbert’s. This was the end. There would be no one to bring them back, he thought sadly. Dan waited for the loud band and death that waited on the other end.  


It never came.  


A wholly different noise came, a thud.  


Dan opened his eyes to see the guard teetering on the balls of his feet before pitching side long onto the concrete floor, revealing Berry Wheeler clutching a dented bed-pan above his head.  


“Did I kill him?” Berry asked horrified.  


Dan ignored him. Now that they were out of immediate danger, Dan craned his head over Herbert and became busy taking his vitals. His pulse was slightly elevated. His breathing normal. He seemed okay save for the fact he was out cold with a thin trickle of blood escaping from beneath his hair line. “West, West,” Dan patted his cheek lightly. “Herbert! Wake up, please!” He hit Herbert harder.  


Herbert groaned, his eyes fluttering open.  


“Good, keep your eyes open!”  


“Please tell me I didn’t kill him,” Berry repeated, looking absolutely ridiculous, still clutching the bed pan over his head.  


Dan glanced over at the unconscious guard. His chest was rising and falling rhythmically. After a second, he lifted his hand to rub his face. “No, he is just stunned. He is coming around fast though. 

We got to go. Help me with him.” Dan ordered.  


Wheeler dropped the bed pan, it hit the ground with an echoing bang.  


“Shut up! Do you want someone else coming down here?” Dan snapped.  


“Sorry, sorry.” Wheeler winced apologetically while helping Dan hoist Herbert to his feet.  


Herbert sagged sideways. Blood began pouring in greater quantities down his face helped by gravity.  


“Shit, that son of a bitch really cracked him good. I think it’s going to need stitches.”  


“Get him on the gurney. We’ll wheel him into an examination room. Hurry!”  


They laid Herbert on the gurney and covered him up with a sheet. They rolled him up to the main floor at a brisk pace.  


The hallways were still blessedly empty.  


“Where is everyone?”  


“There was a pile up on the highway, everyone is in the ICU.”  


“Why aren’t you?” Dan asked absentmindedly as he pushed the gurney through the double doors into an empty examination room.  


“Too many cooks in the kitchen, you know,” Wheeler shrugged.  


Dan pulled back the sheet, to reveal Herbert’s face, which was pale and tacky from sweat. A shallow pool of blood was haloed around his head. Dan had to remind himself that it probably wasn’t as dire as it appeared; head wounds were notoriously horrific in appearance because the head was so visceral. Herbert was unconscious again.  


Dan busied himself preparing the material to stitch up his friend while Wheeler prepped the I.V. and a syringe filled with morphine.  


“Do you think that is really necessary” Dan muttered as he glanced up at Wheeler.  


“I think so. The guy looks like he got hit by a bus.” Wheeler said pulling down the sheet a bit more and indicated the ugly bruise coiled around Herbert’s neck. “He is going to be hurting when he wakes up.”  


Dan nodded his ascent.  


Dan made quick work of patching Herbert up, three stitches in all. It’d leave a scar but Herbert’s hair would mostly obscure it.  


Wheeler was marginally slower due to the fact that Herbert’s viable veins were difficult to find because he was so dehydrated. He finally found one on the back of his left hand. After he hooked up the I.V. and administered the saline and morphine. He huffed out a sigh and sat in a plastic chair located nearby.  


There was a beat of silence before Wheeler broke it, “So are you going to tell me what’s going on?”  


“I don’t know what you mean.” Dan answered a little too quickly.  


“He obviously didn’t get into a bike accident. Just tell me—“  


At that exact moment Herbert sat bolt upright, admitting a strangled gasp. The suddenness of Herbert’s action caused Dan and Wheeler to instinctively and violently recoil.  


Dan recovered quicker than Wheeler. He rushed to Herbert and placed a reassuring hand on his trembling shoulder. “You’re okay.”  


“Dan?” Herbert blinked at him, and then he winced. Clarity and realization crossed his face, “Are you hurt?” He grabbed at Dan’s scrubs and frantically searched him for signs of injury. “He shot at you.”  


“No, no I’m fine. He missed.” Dan said gripping Herbert’s wrist and gently pulled it away. He was touched by Herbert’s concern. “Berry hit him before he could get another shot in.”  


“Berry? Berry Wheeler?” Herbert asked in confusion.  


“Hi,” Wheeler said meekly from the corner.  


Herbert whipped around so quickly he nearly toppled off the gurney, the only reason he didn’t was because of Dan’s hand gripping his shoulder.  


“What—“Then Herbert became eerily stiff. Dan was about to ask what was wrong and maybe suggests rolling him down the hallway to get a CT scan because maybe the injury to his head was worse than he initially believed. “I-I’m hooked up to an I.V.” Herbert said blankly.  


“Yeah,” Dan furrowed his brow, “It’s just saline.” Dan said a little confused by Herbert’s reaction.  


“And morphine,” Wheeler added helpfully, “I gave you some while you were still out of it.”  


Herbert looked at Dan as though waiting for either confirmation or a repute of Wheeler’s statement.  


“It wasn’t a very high dose.” Dan confirmed, still perplexed by Herbert’s actions. He had gone very pale, ever more so than before. A sudden spark of panic ignited in Dan’s chest. “Are you allergic?”  


“No,” Herbert shook his head, “I am not allergic.” He said emotionlessly before promptly and violently ripping out the I.V. A spray of blood decorated the lumen floor.  


What the fuck, West!” Dan shouted.  


Wheeler was on his feet, grabbing a wad of gauze, and pressed it to the back of Herbert’s bleeding hand.  


“Why did you do that?”  


“Take me home, Dan,” Herbert said under his breath, “now.”  


“Maybe you should—“  


“Please,” Herbert whispered. He looked up at him through his glasses. Dan was taken aback to see genuine tears starting in his eyes.  


“Okay, fine,” Dan relented. “But I don’t think you should walk and the buses have stopped running, give me a minute to call a taxi.”  


Wheeler fished his keys out of the pocket of his white coat and held them out for Dan. “Take my car. It’s the orange pinto. I’ll swing by after my shift and pick it up.”  


Dan accepted the keys with a nod. "I'll leave them under our mat."  


Herbert leapt off the gurney before anyone could offer him help. He tilted sideways but was kept on his feet because of Dan and Wheeler’s supporting hands. Once he was steady on his feet he clumsily attempted to hobble out of the room. He looked like a heavily intoxicated man failing his sobriety test.  


Dan huffed a sigh before trotting over to Herbert’s uninjured arm and slinging it around his own shoulder.  


Herbert shifted from dozing to staring absentmindedly out of the window of the moving car.  


When they pulled into their shared driveway some twenty minutes later, Dan turned to Herbert, “Well?” He asked pointedly.  


“Well what?” Herbert blinked owlishly.  


It morphine was obviously working. Herbert was high as a kite.  


“What was that back at the hospital?”  


“I feel funny.” Herbert said smacking his lips together.  


“That would be the morphine, remember?”  


Herbert grimaced.  


“Why did you rip out your I.V like that?” Dan repeated.  


“I don’t like drugs” Herbert answered flatly.  


“You’re in med school Herbert. You deal with drugs every day.”  


“Then I don’t like drugs in me.” Herbert clarified.  


Dan furrowed his brow, “Why though? Are you a recovering addict or something?”  


Herbert turned away from him and stared out the window. He clenched his jaw  


“Herbert, please,” Dan said softly, his tone alone was enough to make Herbert turn back around. “Talk to me.”  


Herbert chewed his lip contemplatively, before he sighed heavily. “My mother was a very callous woman,” he began tentatively. “Very unimaginative . . . she considered my hobbies as she called them to be an abomination against nature and God. She never understood my interests or me for that matter. Anyway, one day she walked in on one of my experiments . . . I tried to explain but she wouldn’t listen. She was convinced I was mad, so she sent me away to an asylum.”  


“Oh my God,” Dan whispered, “How old were you?”  


“Twelve.” Herbert looked out the windshield. “They kept me there for three years. Force feeding me drugs, therapy sessions, watching me, always watching me. Observing and scribbling on their clipboards like I was a bug under a microscope. All the while trying to convince me I was insane; but I am not insane,” Herbert’s voice broke with emotion. “Why would they deem me insane? Just because I can see the possibility of something they cannot? It’s no crazier than a dog finding a rainbow. You see Dan, dogs are colorblind. They can’t see color.”  


“I know.” He offered.  


Herbert continued, “They can’t see color like we can’t see death, we can see the effects. We can even feel it—Oh we feel it but imagine if we could stop it and see it for what it is—a cancer and disease that can be cured! That’s all I am. I am that dog that saw that rainbow but none of the other dogs believe me.”  


“I do,” Dan said.  


Herbert turned to Dan and sleepily smiled. “I know Dan.” Then Herbert yawned and tipped his head back against the head rest. His eyes slowly drifting shut. “I feel very odd.”  


“Herbert, I’m sorry-“Dan apologized.  


Herbert opened his eyes and gazed blurrily straight ahead. “Why are you sorry?”  


“I’m sorry that happened to you.” Dan said and meant it.  


Herbert patted his hand clumsily. “It’s not your fault.” He slurred. He paused. “Do you think we would have been friends back then?”  


“I don’t know,” Dan shrugged, “probably.”  


Herbert smiled again, “I never had a friend before.” He yawned and promptly fell asleep.  


Dan’s heart clenched inside his chest, his eyes got misty. He wiped at his them furiously, glad that Herbert wasn’t conscious to see it.  
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* 

That night Dan had surreal and morbid dreams. He woke up in a cold sweat, and a strangled yell of, “No,” dying on his lips.  


In his dream, Meg, beautiful, wonderful Meg; who wasn’t dead but was very much alive, she was smiling at him with her hand out stretched, palm up, waiting for him to take it.  


He reached out but before he could made contact with her. There was a noise far off in the distance. He turned his head to look over his shoulder in the direction of the sound. It came again. Was it a muffled scream?  


A slight movement in Dan’s peripheral vision caught his attention and caused him to face Meg again.  


She wasn’t smiling anymore. Her face was dour. Her welcoming hand was now lying limply at her side.  


“Meg—“  


The scream came again louder and more urgent.  


He blinked and she was gone. He blinked again and he was suddenly in the basement.  


The scream had morphed into a loud mellowing sound coming from a tray on the lab table. A shiver ran up his spine as Dan took a tentative step forward, so he could peer over the lip of the tray to see the source of the blood curdling noises.  


The twisted and mangled body of Rufus lay on the hard metal tray, hissing, and spitting mad. It lunged at Dan who recoiled instinctively backpedaling until his heels hit something solid. He fell ass backwards over the unknown object; he twisted around to identify what had tripped him only to gaze into Herbert West’s hazel eyes behind the frames of his glasses.  


“West?” Dan asked.  


Herbert didn’t move.  


“West, are you okay? Dan rolled away, and positioned himself on his hands and knees near Herbert’s head. “Hey, West, you got to move for me buddy.”  


Herbert did not.  


“Come on,” Dan said, starting to get frantic. He searched for a pulse along Herbert’s carotid artery. There wasn’t one. Herbert wasn’t breathing. He was so cold.  


“Is he dead?”  


Dan head snapped up to see Meg at the top of the stairs. The light from the hallway haloing her head, “Is he dead?” She repeated mechanically. “Is he dead? Is he dead? Is he dead?”  


“No! No! No! He can’t be.” Dan shouted back. “Where is the resurgent?” Dan glanced around the room.  


“Here.” Meg held out a syringe full of the glowing green liquid over the railing. She let it roll out of her palm, to plummet to the ground and shatter.  


“No!” Dan watched in horror.  


He jerked awake in a cold sweat. He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes until he saw spots. He felt nausea as panic climbed up his throat. Dan had to check on Herbert, he scrambled out of bed and practically sprinted down the short hallway to Herbert’s room. He knew it was only a dream that it was irrational but he had to check. He had to make sure.  


Dan turned the knob and slowly pushed the door open. Herbert was curled on his side under a pile of blankets, his hair ruffled, and his glasses placed on the night stand.  


Dan had seen Herbert sleeping more in the last couple of days then in the last ten mouths combined. It was good for him, obviously he needed it, and dare Dan admit it, adorable? The way Herbert’s face was relaxed and smooth in sleep. It lost all his worry lines and furrowed brow. Herbert looked his actual age in sleep instead of a man laboring under an impossible task. He was soft in sleep. That being said it was a bit unnerving seeing Herbert so placid. Usually Herbert was all fire and energy. His passion unrivaled by anything else on earth, it was as awe inspiring as it was frightening.  


Satisfied that Herbert was alive though a little worse for wear. Dan was about to exit Herbert’s room, when Herbert shifted in his sleep and whined.  


Dan moved forward and checked his forehead for an elevated temperature. A shiver ran up his spine as he remembered the touch of Dream Herbert’s cool and waxy skin. He was pulled out of his morbid musings by Herbert shifted again with another whimper that was long and pained.  


Dan instinctively pushed back his hair, like his mother did whenever Dan was feeling unwell as a child.  


Herbert immediately settled.  


Dan kept carding his hand through Herbert’s hair until he was certain that Herbert’s discomfort has passed.  


Dan settled in a chair in the corner of the room, the nightmare and Herbert’s cries of distress still too fresh in his mind for Dan to let him out of his sight.  
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** 

Dan woke up with a start as something nudged his shoulder. He blinked blurry eyed at a cup of coffee being held under his nose by a newly showered and shaved Herbert West.  


“Thank you,” Dan said hoarsely. He winced at the kink in his neck from sleeping in such an uncomfortable position. He took a sip of coffee, it soothed his throat. “How are you feeling?” Dan inquired.  


Herbert limped over to the bed. The corner of the mattress dipped under his weight as he sat upon it. “Groggy, but that’s hardly unusual after a dose of morphine.”  


Dan took another sip of coffee.  


“I’m guessing I was quite unruly last night?” Herbert said fixing him with a piercing glare. Dan lifted his eyebrows. “I must have,” Herbert answered his own question leaning forward to push the loop of the sling over his neck. “Why else would you have kept vigil over me in that uncomfortable chair?”  


Dan averted his gaze, fearing that Herbert would somehow discern that it was him being present in the room was to benefit Dan not Herbert, that it was he who had had the nightmares.  


“I have such terrible dreams. I must have kept you up the entire night.”  


Was that an expression of sympathy fleeting across Herbert’s face?  


Dan lifted his lips from the empty cup. “Do-do you remember what they were about?”  


A strange far-away look came into Herbert’s eyes but before Dan could ask about it, Herbert had composed his features into their normal unreadable expression. “No,” he said flatly. “Not a thing.”  


There was a beat of silence before Herbert spoke again, “And now that you are all caffeinated, I need you to find Berry and get my journal back.”  


“Your notebook?”  


“It’s missing.”  


“You’re awfully calm about it.”  


“I destroyed the portion that included the ingredients and calculations for the serum after the incident with Dr. Hill. I couldn’t risk someone taking credit for my work again. So now I keep everything in here.” He tapped his temple, “safer that way, but I’d still like it back for side effects and the list of test subjects. The only thing that worries me is the list of test subjects; which includes Dr. Hill and Dean Hasley."  


"HERBERT!" Dan yelled. 

"But I had to, Dan! It's part of good note taking!" Herbert snapped back. 

Dan placed the cup on the side table as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “How do you know it was Berry?”  


“You didn’t leave the keys under the mat last night, yet the keys and his car are gone, plus the front door was ajar and the basement’s door was wide open, when we always make sure it is shut.” Herbert listed off.  


Dan felt a headache starting at the base of his neck. “Fine, fine. You’re probably right. Where will I find him, I don’t know where he lives.”  


“No need Dan. He has rounds today, starting-“Herbert glanced at his watch, “at four. Check his locker while he is distracted.”  


"And you know that why?" Dan cocked an eyebrow. 

"Because I was scheduled to work with him." 

“Why would he take it to the hospital?”  


Herbert rolled his eyes, like the answer was obvious, “To keep it near him so he can show the new administration board I suspect; convince them I’m insane and get me kicked out of school for good. You have to get it back.”  


“And why am I the only on going? You were chomping at the bit yesterday.”  


“This will require someone with speed and who is inconspicuous. I have neither of those qualities presently.” Herbert gestured to his injuries in a sweeping motion.  


Dan groaned. He rested the back of his head against the chair, “When am I supposed to study for finals!”  
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** 

Dan moved briskly through the hallways of the hospital, all the while keeping a wary eye out for Berry.  


He nodded occasionally at passing colleagues, deeply relieved that no one stopped him to chat.  


Once he was in the locker room, he milled around, riffling through his own locker absent-mindedly as he waited until the room was empty.  


When he was certain he was absolutely alone, Dan slinked down the rows of lockers to Berry’s. He pulled out the skeleton key Herbert had made the first week of attending the medical school in order to access every area of the hospital but especially the morgue.  


Dan slid the key into the lock and twisted it. The lock clicked open. He pushed aside a couple of lose leaf papers and spied Herbert’s notebook resting atop a manila folder on the gray tin shelf. Dan quickly snatched up the book and had almost slammed the locker shut when the corner of a newspaper clipping that was peeking out of the folder caught his eye.  


Dan hesitated, looking down at Herbert’s notebook which was safely in his hands then back up at the folder. He planned on leaving as soon as the journal was in his hands, he truly had; but his curiosity had him pulling the folder off the shelf and flip it open.  


The newspaper clipping was a black and white photo from the school paper. It depicted Herbert along with a handful of other medical students listening to a lecture while doing rounds. Herbert was dressed in his white lab coat, his arms crossed over his chest with his usual expression of annoyance on his face.  


Dread squeezed Dan’s chest as he continued to flip through the content of the folder.  


There was also a copy of Herbert’s grades, transcript, and driver’s license  


There were more photos of Herbert; mostly of him at the hospital looking after patients, yet the most recent and most chilling was time stamped a day ago. It was a photo of Herbert sleeping on the couch taken through the front window.  


“What the hell?” Dan whispered.  


The last piece of paper was a handwritten note that said:  
• No records older than ten years old  
• No birth certificate  
• No social security number  


o HERBERT WEST DOES NOT EXIST?  


Dan stared at the last page in utter confusion. If there was no Herbert West then who had he been living with.  
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* 

Herbert was in the basement, dividing his attention between craning over a microscope and carefully timing the exposure of the bright green serum running through a complicated network of glass pipes that coiled and spiraled over a Bunsen burner.  


Dan had done a marvelous job cleaning up the basement. Herbert truly appreciated it, though he would never admit it out loud. Maybe he’s get Dan a new cat. Dan had seemed so distort when the last one had died.  


Herbert grimaced as he recalled how Meg had accused him of killing the animal.  


His goal was the preservation and the extension of life so why therefore would he kill? Yes, it was true he had killed Dr. Hill but that had been the first and only time he had raised his hand to harm rather than to heal.  


It had been in self-defense. Dr. Hill had terrorized him. Threatened to steal his work, threatened to have him locked up and that was the one thing that honestly frightened him to the very marrow of his bones.  


Herbert had made himself a promise the day he had escaped that he would never be caged again. He would do whatever it took to remain free.  


His hand faltered as he caught sight of his own reflection in a glass vial. Even if it meant . . .  


Herbert didn’t want to finish that thought. He shook his head sharply, trying to clear his head.  


Maybe he would find Dan an orange tabby, like the one he had had as a child.  


Just then he heard someone moving around upstairs.  


“West!” Dan shouted from the upper level.  


“In the basement,” Herbert called back.  


He didn’t turn around as Dan opened the door and descended down the stairs. Each individual steps creaking under his weight.  


“Did you get my notebook?”  


“Yes.”  


Herbert held out his hand expectantly, still not turning away from his work. Dan placed the manila folder in Herbert’s palm.  


Herbert frowned, finally looking up. “What is this?” He asked his brows knitted together.  


“I was hoping you could tell me.” Dan said fixing Herbert with a scrupulous stare.  


Herbert placed the folder on the table and opened it. He paused at the photo of him, the expression of confusion edging deeper into his countenance as he continued; when he reached the last page he froze.  


“Is Herbert West your real name?” Dan asked.  


“It’s complicated.” Herbert met Dan’s gaze. His pallor was several shades paler. “Where did you get this? Was this in Berry’s lock—“  


Dan interrupted, “No! Answer my question first.”  


“It’s—it’s,” Herbert stuttered, genuinely lost for words. Dan had never seen Herbert even remotely flustered. He didn’t know why but witnessing him in such a state made Dan angry. “It’s complicated.” 

Herbert repeated.  


Dan knocked the glass vials and the confusing maze of spirals and coils of green serum off the lab table and onto the floor in a rage induced sweeping motion. The vials broke and the substance splashed over their shoes. “You don’t get to say that.”  


Herbert flinched.  


“I stayed.” Dan spat, “Meg died and I stayed.” Dan took a couple steps back. He gripped his hair with both hands, “And I don’t know anything about you.” He slumped down on the stairs, his hands still buried in his hair.  


Herbert stared at the ground watching the green liquid collecting in a shallow pool at his feet. “I escaped from the asylum.” He whispered.  


“What?” Dan lowered his hands which were obscuring his vision of Herbert.  


“I remember telling you about it last night before everything got really fuzzy. I wasn’t released. I escaped. I had to get out of there or I was going to die, by their hands or mine, or maybe I’d go genuinely mad, so I escaped.”  


Dan remained silent, totally transfixed by Herbert’s story.  


“I escaped through a broken floor grate. I crawled on my stomach for miles in mud and shit, I thought I’d never see sunlight again. I felt like the walls were closing in on me until finally I found a drainage pipe that opened up into the adjacent graveyard. The epitaph on the first headstone I saw was ‘West.’ It was poetry. It became my word synonymous with freedom. So I took it as my own.”  


“You took it.” Dan reiterated in a hushed tone.  


“Well they certainly weren’t using it or were going to miss it.” Herbert snapped defensively.  


“And the name ‘Herbert’?”  


“Herbert has always been mine. It was given to me by my father.” Herbert raised his head but did not meet Dan’s gaze.  


“Now you know me.” Herbert huffed, a lengthy silence followed before Herbert spoke again, “Do-do you think anyone else knows I’m not Herbert West, besides Berry and now you I mean?” There was a slight tremor in his voice.  


“I don’t know.” Dan answered honestly.  


Herbert swallowed thickly. His Adam’s apple bobbing noticeably, “I’m going to have to go away for a while.” He said suddenly.  


“Are you afraid your mother will find you?”  


Herbert nodded.  


“But surely she can’t do anything now that you’re an adult.”  


“You vastly underestimate her.” Herbert squeezed his eyes shut. He was trembling with fear.  


“But what about your life here, finals, and—and?” Dan had almost added, ‘and me’ to the list but had restrained himself at the last minute. “Besides I know you don’t have any money or any other friends. Where would you go?”  


“I didn’t have money or friends when I escaped the first time.” Herbert retorted sharply. “I’ll figure it out.” He approached Dan and tried to move passed him but Dan wasn’t having it. “Dan, move!”  


“We don’t know Berry told anyone. Maybe we can reason with him.”  


“We don’t know he didn’t either and I’m not willing to risk my freedom trying to reason with him.” Herbert raised his leg to step over Dan’s knees but Dan grabbed his ankle and pushed it back down roughly in pure frustration. Dan only realized it was his injured leg when Herbert yelped with pain.  


Herbert faltered in his balance, failed to grab the railing, and began falling backwards. Dan leapt up from the stairs and attempted to grab his housemate before he hit the ground but all Dan managed to do was fall on top of Herbert while cradling his head in his hands, protecting it from making contact with the hard floor.  


There was a moment between breaths were Dan and Herbert simply stared into each other’s eyes. Up this close Dan could see tiny flex of gold mixed in the hazel of Herbert’s eyes.  


“Ouch.” Herbert whined.  


“I’m sorry,” Dan apologized as he scrambled off of him. “Did I aggravate your shoulder?”  


“No, it’s just I think I landed on something.” Herbert sat up gingerly.  


Dan’s eyes immediately went wide with horror. Several glass shards from the vials were embedded in Herbert’s forearm. Blood was quickly turning his white shirt red. The blood exited, in a gushing spurt while the sickly glowing green liquid seemed to be actively fighting for entrance into his body.  


“You got to be fucking kidding me.” Herbert groaned. “Can’t I catch a break?”  


“Is that okay?” Dan asked on the verge of panic.  


“I don’t know. I’ve never tested the serum on a live subject.” Herbert looked at his arm in abject horror. “Help me up, maybe we can flush it out?”  


Dan did as he was told. He pulled Herbert to his feet and rushed him over to their deep sink located in the corner. Dan twisted the taps, water gushed out as Herbert thrust his arm under the faucet. 

They remained like that for several long moments, neither of them saying anything.  


“How do you feel?” Dan ventured to ask.  


Herbert furrowed his brow as he did an internal scan. “I feel okay.”  


Dan visibly relaxed.  


“Wait,” Herbert shook his head, “I spoke too soon.”  


“Wait, what?” Dan said nervously.  


Suddenly, Herbert was violently sick into the basin of the sink. He retched until he dry heaved. It was painful to watch and hear. “Dan . . .”  


Dan caught Herbert as he slumped backwards. “I’m sorry, this is my fault. What do I do to fix it?”  


“I’m not sure you can fix it.” Herbert answered pathetically.  


“Come on West, you are the genius here. Figure it out.”  


Herbert screwed his eyes tightly shut. “Maybe treat it like any other poison. an I.V. drip, anti-epileptic medicine, keep an eye on my breathing?”  


“We should go to the hospital.”  


Herbert shook his head frantically. “If she knows, that is one of the first places she will look.” Herbert opened his eyes and fixed Dan with an imploring stare, “promise me you won’t take me there.”  


“You could die.” Dan pleaded.  


“You can just bring me back with the reagent.”  


“Not funny.”  


“It’s a little bit funny,” Herbert offered him a small smile.  


“Should we be worried about Berry?” Dan asked.  


“We have the journal back, he has no proof I did anything to Dr. Hill or Halsey.”  
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* 

Once upstairs Herbert tried desperately, although feebly to flee; Dan thwarted each attempt easily enough.  


“Please Dan; I got to get out of here.” Herbert pleaded. “She’s is coming.”  


He had become ever more erratic as his fever had worsened. A thin sheen of sweat crowned his brow.  


“West, you cannot go anywhere tonight. You’re in no condition. Besides, I couldn’t effectively monitor you on the road.”  


“You’d come with me?” Herbert asked as he blinked the sweat out of his eyes.  


“Course, Buddy.” Dan muttered absent-mindedly.  


“Let’s go somewhere warm. It’s so cold here.”  


“You’re only cold because of your fever. Warm? What like Havana?” Dan snorted. He was picturing Herbert in a flowered shirt and sipping one of those drinks with paper umbrella’s sticking out of it. 

“You’re delirious.”  


“Peru?” Herbert tried yet again to sit up. Dan pushed him back down into his bed, covering him with a blanket. “Let’s go.”  


“No.”  


“I’ll get you a new cat once we get there.” Herbert offered.  


“I don’t want a new cat.” Dan huffed, “Stop struggling.”  


Herbert ignored him and doubled his efforts to escaped.  


Desperate and not knowing what else to do, Dan began carding his hand through Herbert’s hair like he had done the previous night and like the previous night Herbert settled almost immediately.  


“Is-is this okay?” Dan hesitated. He felt more awkward doing his while Herbert was awake to remember it.  


“mmmh,” Herbert only hummed. “That’s soothing.”  


“My mother would do this for me when I was ill.”  


“My dad used to do this when I was sick too.”  


“He died?”  


“Yes.”  


“His light was smothered and he decided he didn’t want to live in the dark, so he didn’t.”  


Dan felt a pang of sorrow for his friend. He paused before continuing to touch Herbert’s hair. “I am sorry. How long ago was that?”  


But Herbert didn’t answer, he was unconscious.  


Dan pushed Herbert’s hair away from his face and felt his forehead with the back of his hand. His fever was still rising.  
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* 

There was a storm raging on outside. Claps of thunder chased flashes of lighting in what seemed like an endless circle.  


Dan had fallen asleep on the chair in the corner of Herbert’s room again. Thunder ripped him from his sleep. He rubbed his gummy eyes with the back of his hands. He glanced at the glowing red clock, it read 4:10. He’d only been asleep for twenty minutes. He should check Herbert again. He turned his head to look at West as a flash of lightening illuminated the room to see only an empty bed.  


“West! West” Dan shouted as he jumped up for his chair.  


He frantically searched the house top to bottom and Herbert was nowhere to be found.  


He had only been asleep for twenty minutes. How did a man with a heavy limp, a torn rotator cuff, a slight concussion, and now being poisoned by the reagent, sneak past him?  


Dan had a lightbulb moment, ‘the notebook’ if Herbert had left it; it meant he would come back. He would never leave his life’s work for long. Dan rushed down the stairs to the basement and to the lab table where he had last seen the notebook, and there was nothing.  


Herbert wasn’t planning on coming back.  


Dan stared at the empty table completely devastated. Then, fear filled the empty space left behind by Herbert. Where was he going to go? What if his condition worsens? What if his mother found him and locks him up again? What if his “light” was smothered and he, like his father, he decided he didn’t want to live in the dark?  


Dan didn’t have too much time to wallow though. Just then the doorbell rang. Hope swelled up in his chest. Maybe Herbert had changed his mind? Maybe he had decided to stay?  


Dan rushed up the stairs and threw the front door open. “Herbe—“  


There was another flash of lightening that revealed not Herbert but Wheeler, who was pointing his gun at his face. “Good evening.” He said politely.  


“Evening,” Dan repeated automatically.  


“Can I come in?” Berry asked.  


Dan nodded, his eyes transfixed on the barrel of the gun. He moved aside to let Wheeler in.  


“Is Herbert home?” Wheeler said unbuttoning his rain soaked jacket, still keeping the gun on him.  


“No, he stepped out for a moment.” Dan answered.  


“Weird time to run an errand”  


Dan gestured vaguely at Berry, “Like you can talk.”  


“True.” Berry relented. “Give me Herbert’s notebook.”  


“It’s not here. Herbert took it.”  


Wheeler cocked the gun. “Forgive me for not believing you. How about we have a look around, just to satisfy my curiosity?” He pointed at the basement door. “Please lead the way.”  


Dan complied. His hands raised awkwardly above his shoulders in surrender.  


Once in the basement, Berry began ruffling around the space. Dan stood in the corner, arms still raised.  


“Why do you want the notebook? West said he destroyed the portion with the reagent in it.”  


Wheeler clucked his tongue in sympathy. “Don’t tell me, you believe all that nonsense?”  


Dan remained silent.  


“Danny, Herbert West is a liar, a mad man, and a murderer. I need that notebook to prove it.” He pulled a shelf from it cupboard, emptying its content onto the floor.  


“So you want what; for Herbert to go to jail?”  


“Heavens no,” Wheeler laughed. “I’m going to kill him.” He stated matter-of-factly.  


Dan’s eyes went wide.  


“He has to be stopped Daniel. He ruins lives. Consider poor Dr. Hill. I read how Herbert killed him. Cleaving his head off with a shovel then running his sick experiments out of his severed head.” 

Wheeler actually looked nauseous.  


“That’s not how it happened.” Dan snarled. “I mean it did but there is more to it.”  


“Oh yes, you were there that night weren’t you Dan?” Wheeler his weight from one leg to the other. “Then please explain that did happen.”  


Dan chewed the inside of his lip, before weakly stating a borrowed phrase from Herbert. “It’s complicated.”  


Wheeler clicked his tongue sympathetically, “I am sorry Dan. I am sorry that Herbert West caught you in his web, twisted your mind, and made you believe in a lie. A beautiful lie, but it is still a lie. People cannot come back from the dead.”  


“Yes they can! I’ve seen it happen.” Dan shouted.  


“You poor fool. That mad man has completely brain washed you.” Wheeler took a step closer. “I had hoped I might be able to reason with you but it is clear to me that your loyalties lay wholly with Herbert.” He paused, a sad expression taking over his features, “I am truly sorry I’ll have to kill you too.”  


Dan felt like he had just swallowed an ice cube. “What?”  


“I’m afraid so.”  


“But-but why do you need the notebook if you’re just going to kill us?” Dan tried to stall. “Or why didn’t you let the security guard kill us?”  


“Because I wanted to do it myself,” Wheeler hummed. “And I need the notebook for creditability; it is going to be a murder, suicide.” Berry explained helpfully. “See my narrative is that you,” he gestured to Dan with his gun, “find the notebook, read it, you discover all the terrible things Herbert has done, you reason you cannot go to the authorities because of what little effect that had the first time with Dr. Hill and Dean Halsey; so you decide to take matters into your own hands. Put the mad dog down, you see. No one would blame you. Herbert is clearly insane. He has killed people and he is likely to do it again. But after you pull the trigger, the guilt you feel is overwhelming. You can’t stomach it and that’s when you . . .” Wheeler moved closer to Dan. So close, that they were practically nose to nose. Dan’s back is pressed up against the wall. Berry lifts the gun and places the barrel against Dan’s temple. “. . . Turn the gun on yourself. BAM!” Dan flinched. Wheeler laughed. “I apologize, that was mean of me.”  


“Why are you doing all this?” Dan asked through gritted teeth.  


“I told you Herbert has to be stopped.”  


Dan swallowed thickly, “I think you’re doing this because you’re jealous. It’s as uncomplicated as that. You are jealous of Herbert.”  


For the first time since Dan had met Wheeler, his mask of polite indifference slipped. “Don’t be ridiculous; me jealous of a mad man?” His lipped curled into a snarl.  


“You keep calling him a mad man and maybe it is true but madness and genius usually go hand in hand. I think you are envious because you are nothing in comparison. You are doomed to wallow in insignificance then fade away into obscurity while he is destined to change the world and be remembered forever.”  


Wheeler grabbed Dan’s shirt collar with his free hand and slammed Dan’s head back against the wall. “Not if I kill him first”  


Dan laughed. “He skipped town and he is never coming back. You missed your chance.”  


Wheeler pressed the gun harder into Dan’s temple. “Well I can still kill you.”  


“What would that accomplish? There is no notebook and no Herbert. It doesn’t fit you narrative.”  


“No, I guess it wouldn’t but it would make me feel better.” Wheeler’s finger started to squeeze the trigger.  


“WAIT!” Herbert West interrupted.  


Wheeler and Dan looked up at Herbert standing at the top of the stairs, dripping wet from the rain. “Leave him alone.” He ordered.  


“You came back!” Dan shouted elated, and then he saw Wheeler stepping back and shifting the potion of the gun to point at Herbert instead of him. Dread rose up deep within him like bail while his heart sank.  


“Hello, Herbert.” Wheeler welcomed him. “Please come down here and join us.”  


Herbert limped down the stairs at an agonizingly slow pace, relying heavily on the railing.  


Once he was on level ground he stuck his hand into an inside pocket of his soaked raincoat and pulled out the notebook. He jostled his injured arm slightly and winced as a result.  


“Here.” Herbert held it out for Wheeler to take. “Take it and me but let Dan go. He never wanted any of this.”  


“Herbert no!” Dan hissed.  


Wheeler moved away from Dan and closer to Herbert in order for him to take the book from Herbert’s outstretched hand. He shifted the gun from Dan to Herbert. Wheeler’s hand closed around it and Herbert let go.  


“That’s very noble of you to sacrifice yourself for your friend; however, I can’t risk Dan talking to the authorities. Besides I like the symmetry of my plan.”  


“I wouldn’t know because I just walked in, but, I'm sure it at least has that.” Herbert agreed. “Though I do rather hate the end result,”  


“Because you two die?”  


“Yes that is the part I hate. Yet, it seems futile to argue with you. It’s obvious you have your heart set on it. Could I have a last request though?”  


“Of course,” Wheeler nodded. “I’m not an animal.”  


Herbert shrugged off his jacket. It fell to the floor with a soft thud. He began adjusting his sling. “Damn, these things are so uncomfortable.”  


Wheeler tapped his foot, clearly beginning to become impatient, “So, what is your request?”  


Herbert reached into his brace, where his injured arm rested, pulled out a kitchen knife and plunged it into Wheeler in one swift movement. “You die instead.”  


Wheeler stumbled forward into Herbert. An expression of shock causing his eyes to open wide as he glanced between the knife that was stuck in his gut to Herbert’s face.  


“You’re the one who will wallow in insignificance and fade away into nothing. You have done nothing worth remembering. . . You have accomplished nothing.” Wheeler whispered in his ear.  


Herbert pulled back slightly, confusion darting across his face before there were two loud pops as Wheeler fired the gun.  


Herbert immediately collapsed backwards, Wheeler on top of him.  


“HERBERT!” Dan yelled as he rushed forward, fell to his knees, and pushed Berry’s dead body unceremoniously off of Herbert.  


Herbert coughed violently, his lips became stained red with blood.  


The whole front of Herbert’s shirt was stained scarlet.  


Dan yanked his shirt open, plastic buttons popped off and bounced off concrete floor in all directions.  


There were two holes bubbling with blood as Herbert’s chest heaved as he struggled desperately to draw a breath.  


“Oh God!” Dan exclaimed.  


“I’m dying.” Herbert wheezed. “I don’t want to die. All my work, lost with me . . .” A single tear fell from his eye. It caught in the stitching at his temple.  


“No, no. You’re going to be alright.” Dan said pressing down with more force on the wounds, getting a wail of pain from Herbert. “I can fix this. I can save you. I’ll call an ambulance.” He made to stand up but Herbert gripped his wrist.  


“Dan, it’s too late. You know it is.”  


“No it is not!” Dan argued vehemently. “You can’t die and leave me here all alone.” He pressed down on the wound trying to staunch the blood escaping out of them, “Wait! Where is your serum? I’ll—I’ll just bring you back. It will be okay. We can carry on like before.”  


“We can’t.” Herbert whispered as his grip growing alarmingly weak. “There isn’t any. The serum all of it, was destroyed last night, when—‘”  


“When I knocked it on the floor,” Dan finished devastated.  


Herbert’s grip went completely slack; his eyes fluttering shut.  


Dan slapped his face lightly. “Herbert stay awake, please.”  


With a great effort Herbert dragged his eyes open and sluggishly focused on Dan as he hovered above him. “Tell me how to make it.”  


“It’s a very long and complicated process . . .”  


“Damn it Herbert, try! Are you going to let everything you’ve worked for die with you?” Dan ordered grabbing the notebook off the floor then glancing up looking for something to write with.  


“I don’t want to die . . . “Herbert whispered.  


Dan spied a pen on the lab table and quickly snatched it up. “You won’t, not forever.”  


Herbert didn’t say anything. Dan whipped his head back around to look down at Herbert who had gone completely still. His pink lips parted slightly as if in a sigh. His thick dark lashes fanning on the porcelain skin of his cheeks. It looked like he could have been sleeping but Dan had seen too many corpses to make that mistake.  


Dan reached out a trembling hand to search for a pulse he knew would not be there. He choked out an agonized sob as his suspicions were confirmed.  


Herbert West was dead.  


His best friend was gone.  


Dan’s eyes pricked with tears. He turned away from him unable to endure the sight any longer. He tucked his knees up into his chest and wrapped his trembling arms around them.  
His fiancé was dead. His best friend was dead. Damn it, he didn’t even have a stupid cat anymore. He was completely and utterly alone. Dan bowed his forehead to his knees and sobbed uncontrollably.  


Suddenly, there was a sharp and unexpected tap on his shoulder. Dan flinched violently, as he uncoiled from his position, and half-turned to see Herbert West sitting up and staring back at him.  


Dan gaped at him. His mind reeling.  


“Are you alright?” Herbert asked seriously.  


“Am I alright? You—you--you were dead?” Dan stuttered awe-struck as he furiously wiped away the tears still streaming down his cheeks.  


“I think so.” Herbert said looking down at his blood soaked chest. He poked the bullet holes with his finger.  


Dan slapped his hand away. “Knock that off.”  


Herbert rolled his eyes and before Dan could restrain him he had pulled a pair of long tweezers off the lab table and shoved the end into his wound.  


“Doesn’t that hurt?” Dan asked in a mix of awe and disgust.  


“It stings a bit.” He winced as he pulled out the bullet and dropped it. It made a dull clinking sound as it hit the floor. He proceeded to remove the other one next.  


Dan tentatively inched closer and reached out to touch Herbert’s chest. He could feel Herbert heart beating under his fingers. He gingerly examined the wounds as they rapidly began to heal themselves before his very eyes.  


“This is amazing.”  


“That’s not the only thing that’s been healed.” Herbert took his arm out of the sling and began moving it around experimentally.  


“And your bruises are gone too,” Dan said moving his fingers up to Herbert’s throat then gently cupping his chin so he could move his head to the side to inspect his temple. There was only undamaged skin there. “But how?”  


Herbert snapped his fingers suddenly, causing Dan to flinch and drop his hand away from Herbert’s face. “The serum. It didn’t activate until I died, then it brought me back!”  


“Since when has it had healing properties though?” Dan asked perplexed, “And why aren’t you all violent—why are you still you?”  


Herbert furrowed his brow, “That is a mystery that will need further study.”  


Dan watched Herbert bite his thumb nail in contemplation and his heart suddenly swelled with unbelievable joy. Before he could think better of it, he had thrown his arms around Herbert in a tight embrace. Herbert gave a surprised yelp as they both pitched sideways onto the floor.  


“Dan, get off of me.” Herbert grumbled.  


“You were dead.”  


“I am aware of that.”  


“And now you’re alive.” Dan smiled into Herbert’s hair.  


“I am also aware of that.” Herbert squirmed in his arms.  


Dan squeezed him one more time before releasing him completely. He sat up and looked down at Herbert who had remained laying on the floor. “Why did you leave?”  


Herbert looked up at the ceiling, “Because I was scared.” He admitted sheepishly.  


“Why did you come back?” Dan asked.  


Herbert’s eyes snapped to Dan’s. “For you,” he whispered. “You’re my friend.”  


Dan’s heart swelled all over again for joy. He beamed down at Herbert. “Still want to go to Peru?”  


Herbert returned Dan’s smile and nodded.  


Dan got to his feet and offered his hand to Herbert, who took it.  


Herbert took off his glasses and rubbed a smear of blood off them on a piece of his shirt not stained with blood. “Tillinghast.”  


“Excuse me?” Dan asked tilting his head.  


“You never asked my real name. That’s my real name.” Herbert put back on his glasses. “Herbert Tillinghast.”  


“Tillinghast, Tillinghast.” Dan repeated the name over and over again. He tapped his lip with an index finger. Somehow the name just didn’t sound right, “I like ‘West’ better. It’s got a certain ring to it.”  


“I agree.” Herbert grinned ear to ear.  


They both looked down at Berry’s dead body.  


Herbert turned to Dan and raised his eyebrows.  


Dan gave an exasperated although fond sigh and nodd, “Go ahead then.”


End file.
